Missed out on Brian Addison’s Favorite Things of past? We got you covered—just click here.
Too many years back, I wrote a very self-indulgent listicle that was about so-called “essential” Long Beach dishes; dishes that I loved and could depend on as long as that place existed—and I wrote it because there’s something so elemental and useful about a specific great dish at a specific place. It was less about some grander proclamation than it was about, “This is just great food.” (I’ve done a much more comprehensive, similar list since then.)
And after a year of not doing such lists, I want to return to it. Not some grand list of “essential dishes”—that is too hard of a burden to put on a restaurant: You better have this and you better have it all the time. But for now, in this moment, I am happy to share some of my favorite things.
In other words: Why not just own the moment? Without further ado, here are the favorite things I’m eating right now…
Smoked trout & soft egg from Buvons
1145 Loma Ave.
While I will have a full feature shortly about the incredibly quality, valuable prix fixe monthly brunch at Buvons—$45 for a four-courser—I have to first expound on this wonder of a dish.
In-house smoked Mt. Lassen trout. (The same rightfully used at Heritage.) A perfectly soft-cooked egg. A buttery, well-crafted potato pavé. And a perfectly executed beurre blanc layered thickly with dill. It’s French AF in the best way possible, melding the light of tartness with the heft of smokiness, the creaminess of butter with the umami quality of egg yolk. It is the plate where you want every single component in every bite, despite how strongly each stands on its own.
What owner and chef Alicia Kemper—alongside manager Luna Sallusti and newly minted kitchen manager Chef Ryan Calbay—has created is something not only special but deeply needed in Long Beach: market-driven French bistro food done well.
Tacos peronnes de camaron Tijuanense from Ruta 15
1436 E. 7th St.
Ruta 15 is nothing short of a damned mariscos-carved masterpiece of a gem. Executive Chef César Sánchez envisioned more than a seafood spot when he was asked to open Ruta 15. He wanted a restaurant that embodied the cultural heartbeat of Mexico’s coastal states along the famed Carretera Federal 15. And he has with incredible pulpo zarandeado, aguachiles, and ceviche-stuffed coconut shells.
But one of his most underrated masterpieces is the saline gut-punch that is his tacos peronnes de camaron. Done Tijuana-style—where white cheese is griddled to a corn tortilla with browned perfection—bits of shrimp and wonderfully fried chunks of white fish. Ask for the ash grey-tinged salsa with habanero as well as the salsa macha and you have yourselves a perfect taco.
Roasted delicata squash from Panxa Cocina
3937 E. Broadway
After a decade of celebrating the food of the much-missed Chef Arthur Gonzalez, Panxa is now looking to a new leader in the kitchen with the hiring of Chef Richie Ramirez. Ramirez’s culinary roots trace back to Laguna Beach, where he worked under Chef Amar Santana at the acclaimed Broadway. Chef Amar—known for his TV personality, deep friendship with Chef Ali Ghzawi (who is no stranger to Long Beach), and boisterous character—leads kitchens known for their intensity, precision, and creative rigor.
This dish exemplifies the changes he’ll be bringing to Panxa—and if he can maintain this level of quality, Panxa will continue its gorgeous evolution in the heavenly shadow of Chef Art. Sweet, roasted delicata squash is atop a bright lime jococque, a not-too-spicy salsa macha, toasted Pepitas, amaranth, and chervil.
Ramirez’s debut will be unveiled at a chef’s dinner on November 4, where he plans to showcase both his Southwestern foundation and his personal heritage. Think juniper-roasted venison. Diver scallops. And pork belly adovada.
Tallarin verde con lomo saltado from Lima Cebichería Peruana
3851 Atlantic Ave.
Lima Cebichería Peruana in Bixby Knolls moved into the former Chicken University space, already showcasing a cuisine as essential to Peru as potatoes themselves: cebiche (as it is spelled in Peru). Since opening for lunch, they’ve expanded the menu with a succinct array of traditional Peruvian dishes that rank among the best in the city.
And its tallarines? They are the best in the city—particularly this version. Silky smooth and deep spinach green, this basil-tinged sauce coats linguine before being topped with chunks of steak and onion.
Tortellini with Parmigiano sauce from The Italian Homemade Company
6460 E. Pacific Coast Hwy.
Italian Homemade Company—the San Francisco-founded casual eatery that prides itself on simple, straightforward, well-made pasta—is easily one of Long Beach’s most underrated spaces.
Humming with the kind of warmth that can’t be cheaply manufactured but doesn’t feel exclusive or pretentious. Their pasta—rolled, cut, and shaped by hand each day—is the soul of the space. Affordable enough to be a weekly indulgence, yet crafted with the kind of attention that betrays generations of Italian muscle memory. Its Italian owners and operators never want their restaurant to feel exclusive; they want to make fresh pasta accessible, something that doesn’t demand a reservation weeks in advance or a paycheck to match.
A new personal fave? The mortadella-filled tortellini bathed in a silkily smooth, MSG-packed Parmigiano sauce. This salt bomb of a dish is a Savory Lover’s dream.
Missed out on Brian Addison’s Favorite Things of past? We got you covered—just click here.
